A Show of Respect and a Little Bit of Love
by JC-zala
Summary: I was speechless the moment I saw his face. I was never the type who would blush at the sight of a handsome face, but this guy was super cute. Somehow, I suddenly felt like I know him. Was he Suicune? RiverShipping One-shot MistyxSuicune


JC: This is my first-ever Pokémon fic. It centers on Misty and Suicune, in other words, a RiverShipping fic. RiverShipping is the belief in romance between Misty and Suicune. This originated from the Pokémon Special/Adventures Manga. But the story you're about to read here pertains to the Anime version. This fic is dedicated to **johnnyd2 at devianart**.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. No money is being made off of the characters here.

* * *

**A Show of Respect and a Little Bit of Love**

"And they live happily ever after…"

That concludes another underwater spectacular by the talented Sensational Sisters. The Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City was a group of four sisters known for their beauties, glamour, and exceptional talents. We have fan clubs everywhere around the globe, with the main one in Cerulean City.

Daisy's the oldest sister. She, as the boys would describe her, is a woman of peerless beauty. She has long, wavy bright blonde hair, and eyes that sparkled like emerald. Her trademark color is pink and she usually wears a pink flower clip on her hair. She's generally the most cheerful among us, but she can be a bit of an airhead.

My second oldest sister is Violet. She has auburn eyes and her waist-length wavy hair is indigo in color. Orange-red pearls are her typical hair accessory. Aside from acting and modeling, she loves writing.

The pink-haired sister is Lily, the one who likes teasing me all the time. Her hair that ends in wavy tips only reaches her shoulders. Her pair of eyes shines like sapphire. She is very flexible in terms of acting, as she's also capable of playing the male roles.

We also run a gym that specializes in Water-type Pokémon. I, Misty, the youngest of the four sisters, was the top Gym Leader. I give out badges to trainers who beat me in an official match. I tell you, I'm not an easy opponent to beat. My sisters used to conduct battles with trainers, but they gave up being leaders in exchange for stardom. Now they were hardcore models and actresses. I also do some modeling and starred in many commercials, but my I focus on the Gym more.

I could tell the audience enjoyed it from the sounds of their cheers and clapping. The show was like the mermaid-version of Cinderella, and I played the leading role. With Violet as scriptwriter, the plot was inspirational, motivating, and downright romantic. She also played as the evil stepmother. Lily, on the other hand, played as Cinderella's stepsister. Daisy's role in the story was Cinderella's best friend.

Guess who played the princely role…

It was none other than the mistress of disguises, the professional copycat, and one of the best Ditto Masters around. Her name was Duplica and she was a very good friend of mine. I met her during my travels with Ash around the Kanto Region. Her prince costume was absolutely flawless. She could have passed off as a boy, and the girls in the audience were sure attracted to her.

Right after the autograph signing and picture-taking session, the girls and I retired to our dressing rooms.

I removed my long wavy hair extensions and yellow clam barrette that held my hair. Unlike my two older sisters, I have layered shoulder-length bright orange hair. Good thing we dried off before entertaining our fans or else we would have been dripping wet until now. I got out of my mermaid costume and put on a yellow silk robe. It was so tiring to wear something that hampers my long legs.

"Duplica, you were, like, totally amazing!" Daisy commented in her high-pitch tone and valley-girl accent. "You should definitely be in our next underwater show." Her lovely pair of green eyes sparkled with such intensity and enthusiasm that made it hard for Duplica to say no.

I merely sighed. "Don't be intimidated. You can say no if you want."

Removing her brown wig, Duplica let her long green hair down pass her shoulders. She usually ties it up in twin tails. "Actually…I had fun acting underwater," she said. "If you don't mind having me around, then I'll be glad to be in your next show. Besides, Ditto and Mini-Dit really enjoyed playing around with your Water Pokémon."

Ditto is a unique Pokémon with the ability to transform into any Pokémon it sees. The Pokémon looked like a pink blob. Duplica has two Ditto.

Daisy squealed in excitement. "Like, thank you so much, Duplica," she said. As she turned to face the mirror, her long blonde hair swayed with her movement. "By the way, I already have the next play in mind. It'll be totally awesome."

Brushing her waist-length hair, Violet opened a drawer and pulled out a pile of paper. "Daisy already wrote the script. She was, like, so inspired and everything," she said, placing the papers on the dresser. "I have to admit the story rocks so far."

"I haven't read it yet, but I'm kinda excited about it," Lily said as she put lotion on her flawless skin.

"You should be," Daisy told her before turning to me. "Oh, Misty, you'll be playing the lead role again."

I groaned. Playing the lead roles mean more work for me. As if I didn't have enough to worry about, like the Gym and training… "Count me out. I'm not interested."

Placing a hand on her cheek, Daisy sighed. "Oh, Misty, why are you so stubborn all the time? You should be honored that you get the lead role. Besides, I can't give the part to Violet or Lily because they'll be pretty busy with the new movie they're starring in. I don't want to pressure them or anything."

"Lily and I will only be playing minor roles for the next show, so we can focus on the movie," Violet said, waving her finger to make a point.

"Look at it this way, baby sister, with the spotlight on you, you're sure to have more fans," Lily said, giggling. "Remember, you're a Sensational Sister too, and you have to always impress the fans."

Shrugging, I sat down on the stool and crossed my arms. I, for one, never cared about things like popularity and stardom. What I cared more was the gym and my Pokémon. But it looked like I had no choice.

* * *

Later that night, as I walked into the dining room, I saw the script on the table. Daisy must've left it there as she went to do who-knows-what. Taking the opportunity, I sat down and glanced at the script.

_Suicune, the legendary Water Pokémon, with its master, Ho-Oh, the sacred bird of the legends, turning to the side of darkness, had chosen a special trainer from the region of Kanto. Ho-Oh was a Pokémon of immense power. It was believed the mystic realm of Pokémon would be forever in chaos. It was up to the chosen trainer to stop Ho-Oh. _

Wow… Violet was right. The plot was interesting and it involved Suicune. Maybe getting the lead role won't be so bad. I once met an actual Suicune during my journey in the Johto Region.

Suicune is a magnificent Water-type Pokémon. It is a blue wolf-like creature with feline characteristics. Its purple hair is so majestic that it resembled a northern aurora or a flowing river. It also has two white streamer-like tails. The hexagon-shaped crest on its forehead is like a fine work of art. The color of its eyes was dyed in red.

The Suicune I met was heroic, serious, and calm. And from what I've learned and seen with my own eyes, Suicune has the power to purify sullied water and can walk across water. Its speed was quite impressive as well.

I wonder if I could meet such a Pokémon again. If there was such a thing as the mystic realm of Pokémon, I wouldn't mind going to a place like that to meet Suicune. Who knows? Maybe I could catch lots of cool Water Pokémon there too.

* * *

In the morning, I woke up when my sister Daisy stripped away my blanket.

"Wake up, baby sister!" came Daisy's upbeat voice. "Today is a beautiful day."

I buried my face under my pillow. "Give me five more minutes."

Smiling, Daisy held up a small blue mouse Pokémon, and bushed her nose against the back of its ears. It has a spherical shape with a white underside and round ears. It also has a wiry black tail with a blue bubble on the end of it. The mouse Pokémon, known as Marill, is my Pokémon. I got it when it was just an egg.

"Morning, cutie!!!" she greeted before poking a finger at the back of my head. "Like, come on, baby sister… You have a photo shoot in two hours. You know how long it takes to doll up."

"All right, already!" I sat up and glared daggers at my sister. "I'll go get ready. Now get out of my room."

"Hurry it up, okay?" Daisy was still beaming with a smile.

"Marill…marill…" my Pokémon greeted me, and I smiled back.

Humming a nice tune, my sister exited the room while hugging my Marill.

Sighing, I looked down at the clock for a short time. "It's too early…" I mumbled to myself. Finally I struggled up, abandoning the comforts of my bed.

Afterwards, I washed and got dressed. My sleeveless Cerulean blue top has black trimmings around the axilla and lower part, white trimming in the middle-part, and a white hood. I also wore a red mini-skirt with a yellow waist bag around it, a pair of white sneakers with a red lining across it with Cerulean blue leg warmers. My two wristbands were black in color. To complete the outfit, I wore a red-white sports cap with a Poké Ball logo.

I checked on my hair to see if everything was in order. When I began my part-time modeling career, Daisy told me to let my hair down more often. It wasn't like I hated letting my hair down. I just felt more comfortable tying it in a side ponytail. But Daisy kept nagging me about it, so I let it down. Well, not all of it exactly… I styled my hair in a single half-up ponytail on the left side. And the ponytail sticks out of the hole of my cap.

Daisy doesn't seem to have a problem when I style it that way.

When I was all ready, I went down to the dining room, gulped down breakfast in five minutes, and exited the doorway. I met up with Daisy outside. She was already in the car, adding one last touch to her smooth face. The weather was good. It was, indeed, a beautiful day.

* * *

When I returned to the gym that afternoon, it was Duplica and her two Ditto who greeted me. Duplica was now wearing a sleeveless red zip-up vest with black trimmings and blue jeans. Her hair was tied in two low pigtails.

"Welcome back!" Duplica looked at my face with a smile. "You know, Ditto is already practicing its role for the next show. It might be a little difficult, but we'll work hard on it."

You don't need a genius to tell you what role Ditto was playing. "It'll be Ditto's first time to transform into a Legendary Pokémon, right?"

"Yeah… But Ditto's is up for it." Duplica picked up Ditto and hugged it against her chest. "And so am I."

"Good luck to you and Ditto."

"You can count of us," Duplica said with a wink. "Oh, by the way, there was a phone call for you not too long ago. He said you should call him as soon as you get back. I left the number by the phone. You can't miss it."

"Okay, thanks."

I went to the phone and dialed the number written on the sticky note. In a matter of seconds, the recipient's image appeared on the screen. Much to my surprise, it was Eusine, a researcher and expert in the legendary beasts. For years he has chased Suicune, but to no avail. The man has light brown hair with a single bang sticking out and blue eyes. He was wearing a white cape over a purple suit with a red tie.

"It's been a long time," he said, smiling like a true gentleman. Hearts would fly at that smile, but I wasn't your average girl who would fall for that."

I met the guy in Johto. He's practically obsessed with Suicune. "Same here… Still going after Suicune?"

"Apparently, yes…" he said. "I have reports saying that Suicune's currently roaming around the Kanto Region. Recent witnesses claimed that Suicune was sighted at Cerulean Cave."

I felt goosebumps all of a sudden. Cerulean Cave is located in the northwest corner of Cerulean City. The cave is home to powerful wild Pokémon. Only the Pokémon League Champion, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders are allowed to enter, because of the high-level Pokémon in the cave. It's also the place where I train with my Pokémon. And I can assure you the place is treacherous.

"Then you're planning to come here, right?" I asked the obvious, although the answer was not the one I expected.

"I have to make sure first. Suicune's knows I'm hot on its trail," he explained. "I hope it's not too much to ask of you, but…"

To be honest, I knew what he was about to say. "You want me to go check if the sightings are true…"

"I will reward you for your cooperation."

"You don't have to," I told him. "As a Water Pokémon Trainer, I'm just as interested in Suicune as you are. If Suicune's really in Cerulean Cave, then this is my chance to see the beast again. Rest assured, I won't try to capture Suicune."

"I knew I could count on the Cerulean Gym Leader," Eusine said. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Contact me as soon as you find something about Suicune." With a bow, he ended the phone call.

I put down the phone and smiled to myself. "Suicune… I wonder if you're really there…"

* * *

The place is definitely not for picnics or letting any good trainer have an easy time. For a cave inhabited by high-level Pokémon, I considered the place as a challenge for my skills.

Passing through the cave, my sight unintentionally found a group of wild Golduck. These duck-like Water-type Pokémon are bluish in color and have webbed hands and feet. They have red eyes and a small red sphere on their forehead.

As a Water Pokémon expert, I know Golduck's basic stats and characteristics by heart. Heck, I even own one myself. It's one of my main battlers.

Going deeper into the cave, I spotted a Persian harassing a poor defenseless Poliwag. Persian is a feline-like Pokémon. Its fur is pale tan with the exception of the black-rimmed ears. It has a red jewel in the center of its forehead. Poliwag is a tadpole Pokémon with large eyes, a pink mouth, and a long transparent tail. Its most famous feature is the black and white swirl on its abdomen.

The poor Poliwag was badly wounded. Clearly it got hurt from Persian's scratches and bites.

I felt sorry for the Water-type. And as I saw Persian driving it off at the edge, where the ground was full of spikes, I rushed in between them and called out Starmie from its Poké Ball.

Starmie, the sea star Pokémon, has a red jewel core in the middle with gold formation on its front. Its main body is violet and it has a second star on its back.

I've had Starmie ever since I became a Pokémon trainer and it's one of my most powerful Pokémon.

The Persian created a glowing, yellow ball in front of its jewel.

"It's Power Gem."

The ball increased in size and then Persian hauled it towards Starmie.

"Use Protect!"

Starmie formed a barrier around itself to defend against the attack.

With a growl, Persian rushed towards Starmie to perform a Tackle attack. But when it comes to speed, my Starmie's the best. "Starmie, dodge the attack and fight back with Double-Edge!" I commanded.

Starmie dodged by spinning away and into the air. Then it returned back and rammed against Persian at full force. Double-Edge was like Tackle, but it boasts more power. Persian was blown away to the cave walls.

"That was awesome, Starmie," I said.

I can't celebrate just yet. Even with the damage it took, Persian was still able to get back up again. This time, it was really, really angry. But that didn't intimidate me one bit.

It took one step at a time, carefully observing me, Starmie, and the Poliwag shivering behind my leg.

"Now, don't you worry. Misty's here to protect you," I said, winking an eye.

At that moment, the Persian fired a bright orange beam from its mouth at the ceiling above me. It was a Hyper Beam, a devastating move. The ceiling started to collapse. Rocks and pebbles came down immediately.

"Starmie, Psychic, let's go!" I uttered. Starmie glowed blue as it used its psychic powers to stop the rocks from crashing me. I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Starmie."

Then I saw Persian charging towards Starmie.

"Watch out!" But my warning came a little late, as the Persian attacked Starmie with a Tackle and followed it up with a Scratch attack. Because of this, Starmie lost concentration and its control over the rocks above me. Good thing I moved out when Persian attacked. Of course, I took Poliwag with me.

Persian launched an array of attacks at Starmie, ranging from Scratch to Fury Swipes. Subsequently, Persian unleashed another Hyper Beam attack.

"Dodge and launch a Hydro Pump attack!"

Starmie avoided the attack perfectly and released a powerful jet of water from its core. The fierce attack pushed back Persian.

"Now stop it with your Ice Beam!"

The sea star fired blue beams at Persian, attempting to freeze it. However, the Persian jumped away to avoid the beams. As soon as it landed, it faced me and Poliwag. Its eyes were dead scary.

Poliwag got scared and jumped out of my arms to run away.

"No, come back, Poliwag!" I called out, to no avail.

Persian ceased the opportunity and fired a Hyper Beam at Poliwag.

I ran in front of the Poliwag. And then I don't remember what happened next.

* * *

When I came to, I found myself lying on the ground, facing a body of water. My cap was right beside me and I felt that my ponytail came lose. As I sat up, I felt a slight pain in my head. Before asking myself how I ended up there, I searched for my Starmie. To my relief, it was lying a few feet away from me. Judging from its appearance, it looked fine.

I guessed Starmie was the one who brought me to safety. I never knew a Persian would ever do that to me. Oh well…

But what about the Poliwag?

"Starmie, have you seen Poliwag?"

The star got up and shook its body, indicating a 'no'.

"Where could that little guy be?"

My question was answered in a few seconds.

"Poliiii!!!"

I quickly turned to the direction of the voice and saw Poliwag splashing merrily in the water. "You're all right…" I smiled tenderly. "What a relief…"

Getting back on my feet, I picked up my cap, wore it, and approached the water. Much to my surprise, the water was crystal clear. "It wasn't like this the last time I went here…" Sure, the water was clean inside the cave, but it was never that transparent, if you know what I mean.

As I stared on my reflection in the water, another reflection came into view. It was a creature blue in color. Its flowing hair was purple and its eyes were red. "Are you for real?" I managed to say. I was indeed stunned. Turning around, I came face to face with the Legendary Pokémon, Suicune.

Wow… It was such an honor to be in the presence of such a great Pokémon. I didn't know what to say.

Just then, the beast bowed its head, showing a sign of respect towards me. That's when I noticed that the Suicune before me was smaller compared to the one I encountered in Johto. It was about 3'05'' in height. An adult Suicune stands about 6'07''. Maybe it was another Suicune.

But what's up with the bowing?

It then raised its head again and smiled at me. It was a gentle smile. Picture perfect for such a wonder.

"Suicune…" was all I could mutter. I wanted to ask so many questions, but my mouth didn't feel like asking.

Suicune walked over the little Poliwag and smiled back at me.

Finally, I figured out what the bowing meant. It was Suicune's way of thanking me for protecting the Poliwag.

"You would've done the same for that little guy," I said.

But wait just a second. If I recall correctly, I got hit by a Hyper Beam. A Hyper Beam can actually kill a person, so why am I fine? I didn't even have injuries. And then it struck me. Suicune must have healed me. There could be no other explanation.

"Suicune, were you the one who brought us here?" I asked, and Suicune nodded. "Thank you."

The beast approached me again and nuzzled its cheek against my head.

I giggled. "Hey, that tickles…"

I ruffled its hair and stroked its head gently. I felt so lucky. You don't get to touch a Legendary Pokémon every day.

Suicune leaped over me and landed beside Starmie. It lowered its body to ground, maintaining a playful expression on its face. Next it pranced around the area and lowered to the ground again. It was acting like a playful dog for some reason, much to my surprise.

This Suicune must still be a kid. It wouldn't hurt to play around for a while. "If you want to play, then let's play!" I exclaimed cheerfully.

* * *

I ended playing with Suicune all day. We didn't play inside the cave, of course, because that will be totally reckless. As soon as we got out of the cave, Suicune took me on a ride on its back to the face of Mt. Moon. We met up with some Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable there. We played tag, hide and seek, and Simon says. Moreover, when nightfall came, the fairy Pokémon celebrated the night of the Full Moon with a traditional Moon Dance. I really had a great time with Suicune, and I could say the same for it.

Riding on Suicune's back, I got back to the gym about 10:30 PM. Good thing I gave Duplica and my sister Daisy a call before going to Mt. Moon or else they would have been worried. But I knew they were going to ask some questions about what I did the whole day, especially Daisy.

I hopped off and faced the Water-type. "It was a long day, but I had fun." I smiled happily. "Let's do this again someday, okay?"

Suicune smiled back and nodded its head.

"I won't tell anyone about this," Misty said. "After all, Legendary Pokémon must stay a mystery, right?" I let out a giggle.

After bidding goodbye to Suicune, I phoned Eusine and told him the bad news. I felt bad for lying to him, but I reminded myself that it was for Suicune's safety. Besides, the Suicune I spent time with was not the Suicune Eusine was after. So, I said to myself, why bother reporting to him?

Eusine took the news pretty well, and still he thanked me for the time and effort.

* * *

The next morning, right after breakfast, I went to sail the sea in my speedboat. My sisters gave it to me for my birthday, and I think it was pretty cool of them. The cold sea breeze felt so good on my skin as a I sailed through the water. Starmie, Golduck, Marill, Gyarados, Corsola, and Politoed didn't have trouble keeping up with the boat.

The main powerhouse of my team, Gyarados is a large dragon-like Pokémon. Its serpentine body is largely blue, but its underbelly and the spots along its body are yellow. It has three-pointed, dark blue crest on its head and four white fins down its back. Its mouth is very large.

My Corsola is an energetic little guy. It's small, pink, and resembled a coral. On the other hand, Politoed, the frog Pokémon, is green with yellow hands, belly, throat, and toes. It has a long curled hair on top of its head.

After a series of practice battles and training courses, I decided to call it a night. As I put all of my Pokémon back into their Poké Balls, a sudden wave whipped my boat, upsetting my balance. I held onto the wheel, as if it was my lifeline. Then I saw two Gyarados fighting.

Not good… Nothing good comes out if two Gyarados are fighting. I've gotta move fast.

But, as I was about to turn on the engine, a second wave hit the boat, knocking me off the boat. To make matters worse, I hit my head on the side of the boat. Before I lost consciousness, I saw a silhouette of a man coming towards me.

* * *

Someone was stroking my hair… Everything was still black, but I felt someone caressing my cheek. A warmth, a strange warmth that offered a pleasant sensation…Who was it?

Then I felt my hand being touched. The person was squeezing it gently. All of a sudden, I felt this person's lips against mine. A nice, gentle kiss… Oh, my, gosh… This person was kissing me!!!

As this person pulled back, I slowly opened my eyes. My vision was a blurry but I could tell that it was a guy.

He smiled down at me before he stood up and walked away.

I closed my eyes and opened them again. With my vision returning, I sat up and turned to look at the guy. I noticed that I was on the shore and my boat was floating nearby. The guy had shoulder-length purple hair. He has a lean built and I could tell that he was a bit taller than me. He was wearing a white-collared shirt and blue jeans.

"Wait…" I called out to him. I have to thank him. I knew that he saved me. But wait… The warmth on my lips…Did he really kiss me?

He paused for a moment, and then he turned around to face me. I was speechless the moment I saw his face. I was never the type who would blush at the sight of a handsome face, but this guy was super cute. He had a shy sweet smile on his flawless face. His eyes were like two beautiful rubies, and his hair looked so silky. His shaggy bangs parted in the middle framed his face well. Okay, I may be out of character by giving out those descriptions, but I wasn't losing my mind there.

"Did you save me?" I asked him.

He shied away from me.

Somehow, I suddenly felt like I know him. "You…You seem very familiar to me. Have we met?" I asked.

Blushing, he slowly shook his head.

Was he serious? I think we've met before. "Thanks for the save," I told him as I got up. "I've got to repay you somehow." I approached him, and I could have sworn his cheeks got redder.

He opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out.

"You can't speak? This'll be tough…" I crossed my arms to think. "Hmm… There must be some way I could repay you, but wha—" I was suddenly cut off when the guy suddenly kissed me on the lips.

I think my heart just jumped out my chest. The guy was kissing me! At that moment, I realized that he really kissed me before. Oh, man, this was too much. I just got kissed twice in one day by a guy I barely knew but owed my life to.

Pushing him away, I clenched my hands. "Don't get fresh with me! Just because you saved my life doesn't mean you can kiss me without permission!!!" I shouted at him. My temper was flaring.

A smile graced his lips as he bowed his head.

I raised a brow. Was he trying to apologize? I wasn't buying it.

Then he pointed at something behind me. I peered over my shoulders to take a look, but nothing was there but the sea. "Hey, are you pulling me leg?" As a turned around, I was surprised to see him gone. "Where did you go?!"

As I yelled that out, a strong wind from the north blew past me for only a split second. Afterward, I heard a familiar roar. Turning to the direction of the sound, I found Suicune standing on top of the cliff. It was looking at me, smiling a gentle smile. I knew right away it was the Suicune from yesterday.

Suicune bowed its head to show its respect. And then it struck me.

"Wait a minute…Suicune, were you that—" Before I could finish my question, Suicune flounced away. "Suicune…"

Dazed and a little tense, I returned to the Gym and went straight to my room. As I lay down in bed, I touched my lips and recalled how the guy kissed me. This may sound crazy or out of this world, but I really think that Suicune and that cute guy were one and the same. But Pokémon transforming into a human? Well, Latias may have that ability, but Suicune?

I laughed to myself. "Maybe it was a fan…" I muttered to myself. "Or maybe it was really Suicune…"

Because of that inimitable experience, I was more inspired to star in the next show, which is called 'The Legacy of Suicune.'

**End of Story**

* * *

JC: My first Pokémon one-shot and first attempt in writing a RiverShipping fic. I'm a big fan of PokéShipping, but I also find other ships with Misty adorable. I especially adore RiverShipping. I find Suicune to be a very suitable Pokémon for Misty. I'm so happy that I was able to finish this. At first, I didn't know how to start this, but now it's here. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. But no flaming please.


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